I swore I'd never catch the whole "Friday cat blogging" meme, and this won't be a regular thing, but I just have to wish everyone a happy "Leave Your Cat at Home Day." Founded in response to "Bring your Kid to Work Day" and "Bring your Dog to Work Day," ("Kids and...
To continue the theme of ISA follow-up, I wanted to mix in a few observations about the way the massive technical shift of stuff like Web 2.0 seems to be changing that which we study, how we study...
One of the most memorable sets of interactions I had at this year's ISA conference came directly after the close of our impossibly-well-attended graveyard-shift panel on "The Relational Turn in the...
A series of short posts will follow with targeted reflections on what I learned at panels and dinners this past week, and how it ties into my take on world events. For now however, let me share a...
Well, "hot" isn't quite the right word. But I just got word that you can pre-order a copy of The Struggle for Power in Early Modern Europe: Religious Conflict, Dynastic Empires, and International Change (Princeton University Press Description) for 34% off the cover price at Amazon.uk. Someone must have taken a look at the book and realized what a dog they had on their hands.PS: Yes, the title on the cover mock up is wrong.
Breaking reports, if true, vindicate a manuscript Alex Cooley and I wrote last year.* Whatever pleasure I get from saying "I told you so," however, is outweighed by my concern about the complications to US operations posed by the potential loss of Manas.The AP:MOSCOW – News agencies are quoting Kyrgyzstan's president as saying that his country is ending U.S. use of a key airbase that supports military operations in Afghanistan.A decision to end the U.S. use of the Manas base could have potentially far-reaching consequences for U.S. and NATO operations in Afghanistan.Interfax and RIA-Novosti...
Football and War have long been metaphors for each other, with players famously (and infamously in some cases) referring to themselves as "warriors" who will "do battle" on the gridiron led by "field generals" at quarterbacks, throwing "long bombs" to score, and Generals "calling an audible" to launch a "blitz" or a "hail-marry pass." Indeed, those seeking to inject greater tolerance into American culture have long counseled that we do away with such metaphors, as they trivialize war on both sides of the equation. George Carlin saw this years ago. (Updated--repaired link to Carlin's baseball...
The BBC:Thousands of people have held rallies across Russia protesting against what they describe as the government's mismanagement of the economy.The biggest demonstration took place in the eastern city of Vladivostok, where protesters demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.In the capital Moscow, police arrested a number of people at an unauthorised gathering by a radical party.Meanwhile, government supporters also held their rallies across the country.Protests on such a large scale were unthinkable just a few months ago as the economy boomed with record high oil prices...